'Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol'

The espionage franchise got a major re-energizing - which also didn't hurt star Tom Cruise's career - with this hugely successful fourth movie spinoff of the classic TV series, the first live-action feature directed by animation veteran Brad Bird ("The Incredibles," "The Iron Giant").

An attack on the Kremlin implicates agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team, forcing them on the run to clear their names while finding the real culprits. Jeremy Renner ("The Hurt Locker") plays a new ally, with Paula Patton and returnee Simon Pegg also featured ... but the real stars are those who did the stunts, including Cruise, in the picture's thrilling and much-discussed action sequences that boast an unforgettable rappelling sequence. *** (PG-13: AS, V) (Also on Blu-ray and Movies on Demand)